Emperor Aquaman #19 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; Paolo Villanelli, Artist; Rex Lokus, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Aquaman’s new powers have taken him on a journey through time and space. As a de facto God of the sea, he’s created a way to forge portals between the oceans of different worlds, and that even led to him and Hal Jordan nearly being captured in space. He’s finally ready to return to Earth – but it’s not just his wife and daughter waiting for him. He’s met by the Justice League, including Batman, Wonder Woman, Hawkman, and a depowered Barry Allen, who have serious questions about what he’s become. It’s pretty funny – Barry isn’t exactly willing to be forthcoming with his new abilities and isn’t all that concerned about the fact that he might be the most powerful person in the DCU now. But other people have noticed his new abilities beyond his allies – and Black Manta and the Crimson Queen have quietly gathered all of his old allies to form an anti-Aquaman revenge squad.
One of the impressive parts of this issue is the way Adams has clearly dug into the archives to find all of Aquaman’s villains, including some I have very little memory of. Mera’s family tree is pretty complicated in general, and some of these villains haven’t been around since five runs ago. They’ve even brought in Aquaman’s second-most-famous villain, Ocean Master, as the last recruit. Obviously, he’s Arthur’s brother and the two have a more complex relationship than he does with the other villains, so we’ll see if this works out for them. Mera, Lori, and Vivienne discover this secret evil society and spy on them, which goes south slowly and leads to an epic escape segment. That seems like the biggest threat facing Aquaman – until what happens at the end of the issue kicks this title into a completely different genre. One of the best things about Adams on this and any book is the way he keeps us guessing.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
